It is especially interesting to note with what zeal and interest those who come to the United States from the north lands of Sweden and Norway enter into the spirit of American citizenship. As a veritable leader in this worthy undertaking, we are constrained to mention Gust Hadford, who has manifested such loyalty and patriotism in his new found home that one is kindled to admiration of his manly and public spirited ways. In addition to this, Mr. Hadford determined when he came to become a thorough American and so at once set with a will to learn the language and he is now master of the English in a gratifying degree and speaks it fluently.
Gust Hadford was born in Sweden, on January 10, 1870, being the son of Lars and Catherine (Vesterlund) Hadford, natives of Sweden. The father is a farmer, was born in 1837 and is still living in his native place. The mother died in 1885. Gust was educated in his native place and on August 20, 1885, he came to the United States. As said before, he came with the full determination of making this his home and settled to the spirit of the subject with an aptitude and zeal that have made him a worthy and leading citizen. He had three older brothers, Peter, in this country, who toiled in McPherson County, Kansas, two years and a half and then came to Washington and worked at railroading for a time, after which he farmed in Spokane County until 1896, at which time he came to the reservation country and selected his present place, three miles southeast from Lookout post office. He has a good farm, well improved with comfortable buildings and beautified with a fine orchard. Mr. Hadford does a general farming business and raises cattle, horses and hogs.
At Spokane, in July, 1896, Mr. Hadford married Miss Hannah F., daughter of Hans Halverson. Mr. Halverson was born in Norway and his widow now lives near Medical Lake, Washington, on a farm. Mrs. Hadford was born in Iowa, in 1880 and has two sisters and two brothers, Mary Wick, Anna Hadford, Holver, and John. Mr. Hadford has two brothers on the reservation, Lewis and John, and two sisters in Sweden, Christine and Caroline. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hadford, Celeste, Glady G. and Claude A.
Mr. Hadford is a Republican and takes an intelligent interest in political matters. In addition to his other labors, Mr. Hadford has operated a threshing machine during much of the harvest times and is a skillful hand in this line.
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Source: An Illustrated History of Northern Idaho, Embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903